Motorcycle LED Brake Light

6" SuperBrite LED Truck Light for Use on Motorcycles

The subject of auxiliary and LED
brake lights has been a very popular topic with webBikeWorld visitors for
many years.

We started reporting on LED lights before they were being
used on motorcycles.

This was back when LEDs were rare, expensive and not very bright
-- and when most of the LED lights that were available had to be specially adapted for motorcycle use.

LEDs have evolved quite a bit since then and the prices have
dropped to a point where it is not uncommon to find them installed as
original equipment on many different vehicles, including large trucks and
trailers.

Based on what I see on the road, LED brake and tail lights
seem to have overtaken their incandescent forebears as original equipment on
the big rigs (although we don't have any data on this).

Those truck LEDs are big, bright and bold, in case you haven't noticed, and
we've often wondered how they would work -- and look -- on the back of a
motorcycle.

So this article by author David G. sort of brings us full
circle to yet another LED experiment; this time it's adapting a truck LED
light for motorcycle use.

David found a good deal on a couple of big, honkin'
LED truck lights and he wired 'em up to see what happens. This is his
report.

Granted, the most important
improvement one can probably make is to install supplemental driving lights
or a headlight modulator to increase the motorcycle's visibility to oncoming traffic,
but brake lights seem to hold more interest with bikers.

This is curious, because, according to
statistics, fatalities from rear strikes are a fraction of frontal crashes
(although there is no data on non-fatal rear-enders).

Even so, it pays to ensure
following drivers notice you, especially when slowing for a turn or when
coming to a stop.

The sound of skidding tires and
the image
of an SUV growing larger and larger in my mirrors was a real
attention-getter, I can tell you. Fortunately, the wannabe assassin stopped short with
about a
meter to spare.

As a result, one thing I have done is to adopt my motorcycle instructor’s
favorite quote relating to why one should invest in high-quality safety
equipment: "It’s cheaper than skin grafts or a body cast."

Why Better Brake Lights?

By way of background, I live in a rural area on the
scenic North Oregon Coast of the U.S., and we get more than a million visitor
vehicles each year.

These tourons -- i.e., "tourist-morons" -- frequently spend more
time scoping out scenic vistas or looking for a place to pee than watching
the road.

And because we're a retirement destination, we also have a large population of
elderly residents. It is not unusual to see a car piloted by a shrunken,
snowy-haired person of indiscernible gender who is barely able to see over
the dash.

The point is that city or country, we all face multiple threats from
inattentive, impaired and distracted drivers, so anything you can do to make
you and your motorcycle
visually evident is a smart move.

After my little scare I dutifully read all of the webBikeWorld and
other articles on after-market brake lighting, which gave me some great information on
the advantages of LEDs.

Several reviews and web crawls later, I came away
wondering if the small LED assemblies marketed as "third brake lights"
really have
enough horsepower for the twin threats of blind geezers and oblivious tourons.

It is hard to imagine that a few tiny lamps are effective at 100 feet or
more...

In addition, a recent headlight experience has colored my thinking about
the role of size in lighting. A friend recently installed a pair of 2-1/2
inch, 55 watt halogen driving lights with round projector lenses on his
motorcycle.

But during daylight hours and from a distance, I
discovered that they appear only marginally
better than the stock amber turn/running lights.

So with that in mind, I
outdid him by opting for
a pair of 3-1/2” by 5” off-road reflective lamps for my bike.

With identical 55 watt bulbs,
the reflectors provide a two- to three-time larger "optical footprint" for
oncoming drivers. The moral of the story? "Size matters".

I decided to also apply that lesson to the rear of the bike, and
I supplemented my stock brake
light with something in between the tiny little munchkin lights and those big,
ugly units you see on trucks and buses.

But, as I discovered, most of
the industrial-grade LED assemblies I found were either
round or oval, and nearly all require flush mounting.

I was just about to give up the
notion of an acceptable solution when the "6-Inch SuperBrite Red LED" marker
light shown here caught my attention.

These
sealed, ultra-bright, vibration resistant, surface-mount units feature 21 LEDs per unit with each bulb sporting its own personal reflector. At the
time this article was written, they were on sale for $15 each, a great price
for what you get.

When the lights arrived, I attached one to a battery to
check out brightness.

The resulting painful blast of red was
surprising – and just what the doctor ordered!

In comparison to other auxiliary brake lights,
the 6-Inch SuperBrite Red LEDs are quite large and about the size of a stock motorcycle brake light
lens.

Since you
can’t be too rich, too famous or have too much visibility in traffic, I
opted to use two of these suckers.

The combination of their size,
their wire leads (rather than a protruding plug) and their surface mount
design provide natural location flexibility, such as:

License Plate: A single
LED light mounted above or below the
tag effectively doubles your brake light transmission. Two units, for a
total of 42 LEDs, on opposing sides of the plate was my preference.

Saddlebags: Vertically or horizontally mounted lights on rear panels.
Soft
bags may need an internal stiffener. Slant or angled bags won’t work without
a wedge shim to make the light vertical - you’ll see why below.
Most owners,
however, won’t be interested in putting screw and wire holes in pricey
luggage.

These are not those wide-broadcast LED units with a premium
price tag; rather, maximum light is spread in a 21-degree "cone of light"
(see illustration below).

Outside
of this area,
to about 45 degrees per side or 90 degrees total, the lamps and reflectors
deliver light at about the level of a regular tail light – still visible but
lacking that desirable, eyeball-frying intensity.

However, I found this
performance issue to be a minor downside when compared to the multiple advantages
of these lights.

The LED "Cone of Light"

By positioning the units so they're pointed slightly upwards, drivers in close-following
RVs and commercial trucks will get their fair share of red light. In a
darkened garage, the intense central cone of illumination projects very crisply
on a wall or closed door.

Shim the light mount so bottom edge of the "cone of light" is
broadcast at
the same height as your tail light. You could also point a pair slightly
outboard, retaining a 10 degree overlap, to push effective cone width to 30
degrees.

One final installation tip: The license mount on my Honda
600 VLX and many other motorcycles is a flimsy, molded plastic assembly, so a
lightweight mounting plate was needed.

A visit to my local sign shop yielded
a thin, feather-light, rigid, double aluminum sheet laminate over a plastic
core. There are two brands -- U.S. made Dibond, generally available in white
only, and British made Alupanel which has a full spectrum of colors to pick
from including chrome.

Alupanel sheets have matching color on both surfaces,
one side is matte and the other is gloss. There is usually scrap material
available for next to nothing, check with an area sign person for
availability and color selection.

Automotive flash modules can be utilized; see the
Miata.net site
for a good set of instructions. Incandescent flashers may require a resistor
addition for LEDs.

Other LED specific circuits allow you to program flashes,
timing and full-ON sequences. Talented do-it-yourself types can even
obtain
a
schematic for a user-adjustable module.
I added a $20 "flash-flash-on" circuit found on eBay.

Q. "I’m writing regarding David G’s article on the 6” LED truck lights.
I’ve been looking all over trying to find the flash, flash, on circuit
he mentions but have had no luck. Can you please suggest a
manufacturer or other source for these? I already ordered the lights."

It is probably based on the same #555 integrated circuit as
are similar units but the "de-acceleration" term is misleading.

My
definition of "de-accelerator" sensor involves a stress triggered switch or
strain gauge to power a light without touching the brake which is not what
they describe in the text of this unit. (More
motorcycle brake flasher and alert modules
here).

The only apparent difference is that mine has a trimmer/rheostat (versus
wire jumper) built into it so you turn a screw to shorten/lengthen flashing.
I also opted to branch off the brake wire so the main light remains solid at
all times.

Finally, given the plethora of flashers out there with price
points ranging from $16 to $50, a review of flasher approaches might be a
good future project for someone.

Summary

The 6" SuperBrite LED Truck Lights function perfectly as a "third brake" light for
motorcycles.

For urban and freeway environs, with their multiple driver
distractions and sensory competitions, I view supplemental brake lights with
flashers as a "must have" safety investment.

I expect these lights to go a
long way toward keeping my ass out of a sling - literally.

From "S.F." (04/11): "The sound of
screeching tires behind me has stopped my heart more than once
during my highway rush hour commute.

While seeking to improve
the brake light visibility of my 1980 Honda CB750C, I found the
above page; after considering various options, I decided to
install the light.

It definitely is a significant improvement
(photo below).
It’s been on the bike for a year now and has held up perfectly….
And my heart seems to beat a little smoother."

From "G.P." (01/11): "I was inspired by the
article "Truck LED Lights for Motorcycles so I added three of
the 6 inch SuperBrite truck marker LEDs to the rear fender of my
2002 BMW 1150RT -- two red LED brake lights, and one amber LED
running light in the middle.

I used both
Posi-Tap and Scotchlock connectors to tap into the existing
brake light and tail light wiring, and both types of connectors
have worked well so far.

Then I installed Run-In-Lites for the turn signals. However, I
substituted H1157 halogen bulbs for the 1157 bulbs that came
with the Run-n-Lites.

Please see the first attached picture for the rear lights. For
front running lights, I found these Super Bright LEDs’ “Fixed
Angle Beehive Marker Lamp” LEDs to be an inexpensive
alternative. Now I hope the cages can see me, even in the
daytime!"

Editor's Note: Be careful with the halogen bulbs,
they burn so hot they can easily melt the housing.
See our review.

From "P.A.": "You can never have too much
light coming off the back end (and often overlooked, the sides)
of a motorcycle and anything which flashes the brake lights when
brakes are applied is even better.

I installed a double
set of brake lights into the regular brake light housing (twice
as bright) of my Gold Wing 1800 and a Kisan brake modulator,
both are available from Electrical Connection.

And, my
bike is yellow and, I have wide bands of the reflective light
strips sewn into the sides of the legs and on the back of my
Motoport Kevlar (review) riding gear.

As for the front end, the Gold Wing is famous
for having very bright headlights, however, I also run high
intensity yellow fog lights all the time and drivers tell me
they notice me and that is exactly what I am seeking.

I
also have a Kisan headlight modulator installed which I do not
run all the time because it is too annoying to on coming traffic
and anyone ahead, however I do turn it on when approaching
intersections where oncoming or merging traffic may cross my
path.

I feel a little more visible and that's all good
but do I feel safe from the "Gee I didn't see you" crowd?

Never. I ride with the presumption that they really don't
see me and I ride accordingly. Defensively.

Other than wearing a full face helmet and
Motoport Kevlar riding gear I cannot think of a smarter
investment in personal safety for any rider than having more
light (and modulating when brakes are applied) come off the back
end of their bike."

Response From the Author: Search eBay for
"brake flasher". The offering from Rearalert is your best
choice and the price is right.

My original circuit was the
"Electro Flasher" which carries a 90 day warranty.

Wouldn't you know it....mine croaked after 100 days. It is
notable that its failure did not affect the main brake lamp
since I opted to branch off and isolate the supplemental
components.

Two minor information updates are noteworthy:

One local biker opined that using a full time wig-wag flasher
would garner even more attention. It sounds good at first
blush but there is a problem -- the purpose of rear lights is to
communicate presence, actions and intentions.

If you
bombard that following driver with a continuous riot of
pulsating bright red lights, they may not notice a flashing
amber turn signal and pass you on your turning side. Ouch!

This is why a short flashing sequence, which then goes to solid,
is preferable.

From "S.M.": "As a card carrying member of
AARP, I must highly protest David G's description of retiree's
as "shrunken, snowy-haired person of indiscernible gender who is
barely able to see over the dash".

If David hasn't look at
the statistics of people who are buying motorcycles, he will
likely find that these people are a little more mature than the
average population.

And must point out to Mr. G that he is
going to resemble his own description in the future. He
may turn into his own worst nightmare.

Actually, I suspect his comments are really a
parody to setup the seriousness of the situation and looking for
ways to avoid rear end collisions.

I appreciate his
research on the use of non-motorcycle specific lighting
solutions to bring better visibility to any bike.

While
I'm not sure I would use his specific choices for auxiliary
lighting, he has pointed out a direction that offers increased
safety and reasonable costs.

Thanks to wBW and David for some good ideas."

Dave's Reply: Yes, my
references to the elderly are a tad tongue-in-cheek as I am an
AARPer, too.

I didn't get my bike endorsement and first
cycle until the tender age of 60 plus my regular riding partner,
who is well over 70, has been riding for 50+ years.

We
joke about getting special bike mounts to carry walkers which is
tacit recognition that someday we will become part of the
problem.

This doesn't change the fact that there are way
too many geezers who should have had their privileges lifted
long ago...

From "G.M.": "Thanks again
for another great article, on a very interesting subject.
The author mentioned his sphincter clinching experience that
motivated his interest, and it reminded me of my favorite, and
my only humorous, close call story.

This relates to why brake lights like this are
needed.

If anyone wonders why I have a headlight
modulator, I'll be glad to tell them about the guy who turned
left 15 feet in front of me, and how the Lord was with me that
day, I'll tell you. But I digress.

I started motorcycling on a Honda 100 Scrambler,
maybe a 1972 model. I rode it back and forth to the church,
where I was a college student "youth director" for the summer.

I oversaw young folks not yet old enough to drive, whose parents
bought them real motorcycles. They rode 350's to 750's to
the church parking lot, to go round and round. I got hooked.

Then I, the only legal driver, purchased my 100 Scrambler with
my own good money, and my part time job.

On the way home one day, as a raw inexperienced
rider, I stopped for a light turning from yellow to red. I
settled in as the first vehicle at the light at the "wait" line,
and then suddenly I heard the screeching brakes behind me.

I looked into the rear view to see a VW bug sliding toward me
almost sideways, and swaying from right to left angles in a
serious big time slide.

Your mind works extremely fast in such
situations (especially if the Lord is your copilot), and running
the math, it was clear that this car was not going to stop
before striking me and my bike.

Once again, mind in
highest possible and with help from above, I considered my
options during the next 2 to 3 seconds. It came down to
"Let's Make a Deal".

Door #1: If I tried to pull forward, I was
likely to either give it too much gas and dart in front of the
crossing traffic, who now had the green light.

Door #2: I
was likely to kill it being too careful trying not to surge into
on-coming traffic, and get hit because the bike had not moved
far enough.

I decided on Door #: I picked up the 100
Scrambler, between my legs, and ran with it. I ran, more like
waddled, forward just one bike length, looking pretty stupid I
freely admit.

Thankfully, the crossing traffic was too
stunned to move into the intersection, as I moved one bike
length into their lane.

I looked back, and the VW's bumper was six
inches from my rear tire. I looked forward, and saw
crossing drivers laughing hysterically in their cars.

I
too, laughed, but only later when I told the story. I
confronted the inattentive teenage girl driving the VW, who used
the infamous and idiotic phrase: "I'm sorry, I didn't see you".

One useful bit of life lesson here: when you
stop at a light, leave yourself some "wiggle" (or waddle?) room
in front of you, in case you hear the squealing tires behind
you.

BTW, I can't begin to pick up my present bike, or any
of them since the 100 Scrambler, but you can still roll or drive
forward.

I already have some of the little flashing LED's
from Cycle Dynamics. These look like they would demand
much more attention, and they're cheaper, too."